


Falling Strange

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 09:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen Ackles is the host of Midnight Valley’s community radio program. He spends his days reporting mundane happenings, from bake sales to soul reaping shadows, and doesn’t think there’s anything particularly interesting about his small town. Scientist Jared Padalecki insists otherwise. He considers Midnight Valley to be the most remarkable town in existence and has recently arrived to study it. Determined to find a logical explanation behind all the weird occurrences, he’s excited to get started. As the unexplainable begins to pile up however, he finds himself in over his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling Strange

**Author's Note:**

> For the [spn_reversebang](http://spn-reversebang.livejournal.com) I had the pleasure of working with [mishmellow](http://mishmellow.livejournal.com), who created a wonderful piece of Welcome to Night Vale inspired art. As soon as I saw it I hoped to write something for it. I've wanted to write something Night Vale inspired for quite some time now, and was very happy to finally have the opportunity to do so. Having this awesome artist to collaborate with was a great bonus. The additional pieces created are stunning - I can't thank you enough. I really hope I did your beautiful art justice!  
> [See all the art here - do it!](http://mishmellow.livejournal.com/1919.html) It's incredible.
> 
> I'd also like to thank [twistofapen](twistofapen.livejournal.com) for a great beta job. I can't tell you how much I appreciated the comments and guidance you provided in addition to fixing all of my pesky SPaG issues. Any remaining mistakes are my own.

  


_“Good afternoon, listeners. I’m Jensen Ackles and we’re looking at a beautiful day in Midnight Valley. Skies are clear and a high of seventy-six is expected._

_“First up, we’ve received several reports from across town about strange behavior in crows. They appear to be gathering in front yards and staring menacingly up at houses. Their cold, beady eyes are gazing through the windows, through quaintly decorated living rooms, and directly into the deep, dark crevices of the residents’ minds. If a murder has gathered in your front yard, do not fear them. Do not alter your routine or let on that their presence affects you in any one way or another. However, if they begin to close in, or you begin to hear their collective thoughts in your mind… you should exit the house immediately and do not, I repeat, do not look back. Temporary housing is being set up at the Little Brick School._

_“Now, onto our next story: the mayor’s cat had kittens last week and if you haven’t seen the photos yet, they are pretty damn cute.”_

 

* * *

 

Some may have considered Midnight Valley to be a small town, but it certainly wasn’t quiet. 

There was plenty of news to be had, from bake sales to youth volleyball tournaments to the shadows that routinely reaped souls on the first of each month. Nothing terribly exciting, obviously, but things still worthy to report. Jensen had been an avid listener of the community radio broadcast as a child and a devoted intern in his late teens. When he had taken over the program a mere five years ago, he had been thrilled. 

Not many things excited him, but this? This was his life.

Now, the day’s broadcast had come to an end and he removed his headphones. As he did so, his assistant—Felicia—called to him from her desk across the room.

“Are you going to the town hall tonight?” she asked.

He shook his head. She knew he hated public meetings of any kind. They ranged from tremendously boring to very, very, very boring and fell somewhere between dental surgery and watching reality television on the list of things he was willing to do. 

“Why would I do that?” he asked.

“Because they’re doing that little welcome party thing for the scientists.”

“Scientists?”

“Jared Padawhatever and company. I sent out a memo.”

“A memo?” He arched a brow. 

“Maybe it was a tweet.”

“I don’t tweet.”

“Well, that’s the problem,” she sighed. “Until you step into this century, I probably _should_ start sending you memos. Or possibly invest in a carrier pigeon.”

“Or you could talk to me like you’re doing right now." He illustrated this by gesturing between them. Felicia glanced at him, but didn't seem entirely sold on the concept. "Real human contact," he clarified. "You don’t need to text or tweet me assignments when our desks are twenty feet apart.”

“You know that I prefer to communicate via social media.”

Jensen rolled his eyes and with an exaggerated sigh, he asked, “What time is this thing?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“You don’t want to go?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I really don’t want to,” Felicia replied, fingers tapping away at her keyboard and eyes drifting back towards her computer screen. “Plus, I Google’d this Jared guy and he’s super cute. Pretty sure I’m doing you a favor.”

“Sure you are,” Jensen said. 

He stood up from his desk and crossed the room. As he passed Felicia’s desk, he pushed her laptop closed with a sharp _click_. Her eyes widened and a wheeze escaped her chest. “Wha—you— _dick!_ ” she breathed, and swiped a hand through the air as if to hit him. He took a long step back and smiled. 

“I was about to get Oblivion Walker!” she screeched. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Of course not. And I’ve told you before, no video games at work.”

“It’s an ARPG and—and—you know, I take back what I said. I hope I’m _not_ doing you a favor and the meeting is boring and he isn’t as cute in person," she pouted, and turned her nose up in the air at him.

Jensen moved to the coffee maker and began to prepare a cup for himself. While he normally cut himself off from caffeine at around one in the afternoon, he’d need the energy boost to keep going into the evening. As the machine whirred to life and sent a heavenly, steaming stream of extra-bold house blend into his cup, he sighed a little and looked up at the wall.

“Pretty sure that’ll be the case no matter what,” he replied.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t, actually.

Felicia was right: Jared Padawhatever was pretty damn cute. 

Jensen sat in the back of the room, making notes on his laptop and wishing the Wi-Fi would connect so he could check the spelling of that name. Attendance was modest, and all eyes were on the front of the room. Jared and his team were seated behind a long table, microphones in front of them, and Jared was first to address the audience.

“I’m Jared Padalecki,” he said. “And this is my research partner, Misha Collins, and our intern, Osric Chau.” The two men at his sides lifted their hands in greeting as their names were said. Jared’s eyes darted to each and then he continued. 

“I think Midnight Valley is fascinating, and I’m very happy to have been given the opportunity to conduct research here. Whether you realize it or not, this town is an absolute marvel.” Jared paused to draw a breath in, and smiled. Small dimples formed and Jensen briefly stopped typing. When Jared spoke again, he said, “There is so much to learn and I can’t wait to begin.”

He went on to explain that their research grant placed them in town for one year, but that that might change depending on what they discovered. 

Then, they took questions from the audience. 

They quieted concerns about weird experiments, exploitation, and shot down a government conspiracy theory. Ultimately, they assured everyone that they were there purely for science, and the doors to their lab were always open. 

As the meeting wrapped up, Jensen gathered his things and checked his phone.

There was a text from Felicia. _Boring?_ she’d asked.

 _Very_ , he replied.

 _Cute?_ came the response a second later.

He hesitated, and then replied in the affirmative once more.

His phone went off two more times, her reply a simple _;)_ followed by _B====D_ which he assumed was a penis. How mature. 

With a roll of his eyes, he slid his phone back into his pocket. Then, he swung his back over his shoulder and turned to leave. As he began to head for the door he noticed Jared, who stood a few yards away. He was deep in conversation with Kim Rhodes, who was probably telling him she owned the only bar in town worth going to. Which was true. Jensen gave her a wave as he passed. She waved back and motioned for him to join them. He hesitated for a moment, but conceded.

“Jared, this is Jensen Ackles,” Kim said as he reached their sides. Jared’s gaze met his. The corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile, and Jensen returned it. “He’s the manager and host of Midnight Valley’s community radio,” Kim explained.

“Is that so?” Jared asked, and Jensen nodded.

“Sure is.” He tapped his fingers against his bag. “And you can look forward to hearing your name on the radio tomorrow.” 

“Good things, I hope.”

“Our program is based on the facts, no mudslinging whatsoever so don’t worry.”

“Awesome. Think you can sneak in a line about how devastatingly handsome I am? For the sake of sticking to the facts, that is,” asked Jared with a smile. Jensen laughed.

“I was thinking something along the lines of _so tall he wouldn’t need a ladder to get a kitten out of a tree_.” The guy had some serious height on him; he made Jensen feel small, which was quite a feat in itself.

“I’ll take it. And it might get me a side job as kitten rescuer, so win-win.” He winked and Jensen smiled.

“What do you think of our town so far?” asked Kim.

“Well, I gotta say the way we’ve been treated so far is going to make settling in a little difficult. Big, formal welcome parties like this and how nice everyone has been? We feel like VIPs.”

“You’re a pretty big deal,” Jensen told him. “My co-worker wouldn’t shut up about you. Everyone is pretty excited.”

“Well, not everyone,” Jared corrected. “There seems to be a little hostility from certain factions of town, and it makes me feel a little guilty. Like an intruder or something. Some of the questions tonight and other things we’ve heard—it’s like they think we have some malicious, ulterior motive in being here but that isn’t the case.”

“People can be afraid of what they don’t understand,” Kim assured him. “But don’t worry, we know you’re good guys who are only here to do your work. And who knows, maybe you’ll educate us along the way with some big words and numbers.”

“My work in a nutshell,” Jared said with a laugh. 

“Anyway, VIPs drink free tonight at my place so why don’t you round up your crew and stop by?”

“An invitation I can’t refuse,” replied Jared. “Let me get the other guys and…” he paused and looked at Jensen. “Are you going to come?”

“You _don’t_ drink free,” Kim told him, and he rolled his eyes.

“Love you too, Kim.”

“Don’t worry,” Jared said softly. “First one’s on me.”

Jensen looked at him, and felt his cheeks heat. He couldn’t remember the last time somebody had offered to buy him a drink. He normally did the drink-buying, and lately only for Felicia, who always promised to pay him back even if she never did.

“Um.” 

The urgency to get home melted away, but then reality set in. He had a lot of work to get done before tomorrow’s broadcast.

“I’d love to,” he said. “But I’ve got some things I need to finish. For work, you know.”

“I understand,” said Jared, a hint of disappointment in his tone. “I’ll see you around town, right?”

“Of course.”

“And I can listen to your show.”

Jensen winced. “If you really want to suffer through an hour of my voice, then sure.”

“I think I could handle that.”

Jensen reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his business cards. He slid it into Jared’s palm and told him, “My card. It has my email on it—just shoot me a message and maybe we can grab coffee or something sometime. I can get you acquainted with our town.”

“I like the sound of that,” Jared said as he slipped the card into his pocket. “Now, I’m going to grab my guys, but I’ll see you around.”

“See you,” Jensen said with a small wave.

Jared turned to shout for Misha and Osric, and Jensen headed for the door. 

As he stepped out into the night air, he realized how hard his heart was beating.

 

* * *

 

_”Next up, I’m happy to announce the arrival of very important visitors to Midnight Valley._

_“Scientists Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, with assistance from Osric Chau, have come to study our town. In Padalecki’s opinion, we are a fascinating phenomenon and he can’t wait to find out what makes us tick. They will be seen around town, conducting experiments and research and will be renting the space next to Adam’s Apples to use as their headquarters. Padalecki said that the door to their facilities is always open to inquiring minds, but please remember the ban on public use of psychic persuasion still stands. Do not view their hospitality as an invitation for mayhem—we don’t want another St. Patrick’s day of ’09, do we? Don’t be jerks, is all I’m saying._

_“Padalecki and Collins’ work has been funded by a grant through the University of Southern Nevada and I would like to extend a big thank you to USN for lending us what’s surely two of their finest scientists._

_“Now, a quick word from our sponsors: Interested in eating great and staying healthy? Incorporate more apples into your diet. Apples are full of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not to mention, an apple from our very own Adam’s Apples will give you the boost of confidence and strength needed to fend off soul reaping shadows. Adam’s Apples is located on Fifth and Main. Remember, an apple a day keeps the shadows away and your soul intact. Buy Adam’s Apples. “_

 

* * *

 

After the broadcast, Jensen opened his computer and checked his email. 

There were already a few about the day’s broadcast. Mostly concerns about the presence of Jared and his team. He tried to respond as equably as possible. He quelled their fears by explaining that their presence shouldn’t be taken as a threat and Midnight Valley’s reputation would not be tarnished in any way, shape, or form. 

As he reached the end of nervous citizen concerns, he found an email from one Jared T. Padalecki. He opened it, aware of the strange eagerness that bubbled up in his chest, and read. 

_> >To: Jensen Ackles (j.ackles@midnightvalleyradio.org)  
>>From: Jared T. Padalecki (padaleckij@usn.edu)_

_Good Afternoon,_

_I had the pleasure of meeting you at town hall last night, and you gave me your card. You might remember me as the tall guy with the really great smile, but if that doesn’t ring a bell I’ve also acquired a reputation as ‘that scientist who’s probably going to ruin Midnight Valley with his research’. This isn’t true, obviously, and I was hoping to take you up on that offer for coffee. I’d love to get to know the town and its community better. Plus, who knows. Being seen with you might earn me some valuable street cred. I’m free tomorrow morning, if that would work for you. Just name the place._

_Best regards,  
Jared Padalecki_

He hadn’t needed a reminder of who Jared was, and was happy to have heard from him. After a moment of thought, he typed his response.

_> >To: Jared T Padalecki (padaleckij@usn.edu)  
>>From: Jensen Ackles (j.ackles@midnightvalleyradio.org)_

_Hello,_

_I remember you, of course. I actually just finished talking about you on air (all good things, so don’t worry). As for street cred, I’m not sure what the going rate is these days but I can’t imagine I’m worth much. Coffee, on the other hand, is something I can definitely do. I normally begin to itch for a second cup around ten. If that works for you, we could meet at the Ugly Mug. It’s a halfway point between our offices and serves the best coffee in town._

_All the best,  
Jensen_

Then, he closed his laptop and smiled.

 

* * *

 

Felicia wolf-whistled as he walked into the office the next morning.

“Damn,” she commented. “I’d bang you in a hot second, you know that?”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Please, the feeling is mutual. You look hot, is all. What’s up?”

With a glance down, he silently assessed his outfit for the umpteenth time. He’d combed through his closet a few more times than usual that morning, which was embarrassing but it's not like anybody other than his cat saw him making such a fuss. Ultimately, he'd settled on khaki trousers and a chocolate waistcoat over a brown check plaid shirt.

“I’m having coffee with our resident scientist.”

“Really?” she asked, interest clearly piqued.

“Really.”

“I’m impressed,” she said, nodding in approval. “Now, is this professional coffee or ‘get to know you before we fuck’ coffee?”

“Professional, unfortunately,” he replied, scrunching his nose. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to…”

“Fucking coffee?”

“Stop. Please,” he said, groaning. “What I was going to say is that I wouldn’t mind it turning into something more, but who knows.”

He shrugged a little as he said this, trying to sound casual. 

Though he wouldn’t admit it, he was nervous. He prided himself on his ability to stride confidently from one task to the next, but relationships had always been his downfall. A hiccup in his otherwise streamlined life. He hadn’t had one in a while—quite a while, actually. And while he didn’t even know if Jared was interested in him _like that_ , the smallest possibility still made his palms sweat.

He changed the subject. “Anyway, did you get those quotes from the farmer who said his cows were mooing to the tune of Moon River?”

“Of course I did, but hey, I want to hear more about this date.”

“It’s not a date.”

She gave him a look that he ignored.

“Work, Felicia. Professionalism. Remember?”

“More interested in work than in sex? Shocking,” she drawled.

He lifted his middle finger in her direction and then took a seat at his desk.

 

* * *

 

“You look great,” Jared commented as they sat down with their coffees. 

“Thanks.”

“Feel like I need to run out and buy some fashion magazines if I’m going to be seen next to you often.”

 _Often_. He smiled into his coffee and shrugged.

“It’s the waistcoats,” he said. “They make anybody look trendier than they actually are. But I really like them and I have like twenty of ‘em so… right.” He’d forgotten what point he was trying to make and grimaced. Awkward start, Ackles.

Jared didn’t seem to care, though. He just smiled. “Well, you look nice in them so I’m sure each was a smart buy.” Then, he took a sip of his coffee and said, “So, call me egotistical but I listened to the show the other day. Couldn’t resist hearing my name.”

“What’d you think?”

“I really enjoyed it. I dig the mix of news with creepy, sci-fi undertones.” 

Jensen tilted his head to the right, not sure what Jared meant by that. The term sci-fi implied his broadcast was somehow fiction, which it wasn’t. Before he could contemplate the comment further however, Jared said, “Consider me a fan. I’ll be listening every day from here on out.”

He smiled at that. “Well, I’m happy to hear it. You should stop by the studio sometime. I could show you around and you could even be a guest, talk about what you’ve been up to research-wise and whatnot.”

“Sounds good to me. Once we get settled I’ll have to take you up on it.”

“Cool,” Jensen said with a nod.

Conversation flowed easily after that. They made their way through the typical get-to-know-you topics and then circled back to Jared’s research. He’d been in town just over a week and was still getting settled. Jensen suggested a few places he should visit around town and people he should talk to. 

“Why Midnight Valley, anyway?” he eventually asked. “There isn’t anything particularly remarkable about our town.”

Jared looked at him incredulously. “Are you kidding?” he asked. “Your town is one of, if not _the_ most remarkable town in existence. Ever since I first visited I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to come back and take a closer look.”

“Come _back_?” Jensen asked, lifting his brow. “You’ve been here before? I was kind of under the impression you’d been placed here. Unfortunate luck of the draw or something.”

“Believe it or not, I wrote the grant and put a lot of effort into getting us here. The first time I visited the town was maybe five years back.”

“Huh. And why the interest in returning to study us?”

“Well, it’s going to sound a little… weird.”

“I can handle weird,” Jensen promised. Across the table, Jared's tongue darted out to wet his lips.

“Okay,” Jared finally said, slowly. He drew the word out and set his coffee down. Leaning forward, and a few strands of dark hair fell into his eyes. 

“It was near the end of grad school, and I needed a break to clear my head. I took a road trip cross-country. Visited a few friends along the way; it was great.

“Along the way, I passed through Midnight Valley. Stopped for gas, grabbed lunch at a diner. It was fine… until I tried to leave. I—“ He stopped and shook his head, as if unable to believe his own thoughts and words. “It was like every road took me right back to the center of town. At first I thought I was lost, but then I asked for directions. I followed them to a tee and five minutes later I was right back where I’d began. It took me over six hours before I finally was able to get on the highway and clear the town lines.” 

As he reached the end of his story, he laughed a little and sat back in his seat.

“So, there it is,” he said. “Laugh or whatever you want to do. Misha sure loves to give me hell for that story. But that’s why I wanted to come back. There are things that happen here that shouldn’t be possible, and I want to find out what’s going on.”

“I’m not going to laugh,” Jensen replied earnestly. 

Jared’s story didn’t strike him as particularly outrageous so he wasn’t sure why he’d make fun of him for it. Instead, he shrugged and said, “Our town can be a little fickle at times. It doesn’t like to see people leave. And, I mean, can you blame it? I wouldn’t want you to leave either.”

“You don’t want me to leave?” Jared asked, smiling now. Jensen winced, embarrassed, but it was too late to take it back.

“You seem like a nice guy, is all,” he said. “Plus, you’re going to conduct research that will be invaluable to our town in the long run and—“

Jared cut him off. “Jensen, hey—no need for that. You seem like a nice guy too. And I hope to get to know you a little better.”

“Oh. Okay.” He relaxed a little, and drew a breath in. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better either.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Jared replied. 

Then, he lifted his mug to take a sip. Jensen did the same. 

Over the rim, he held Jared’s gaze and they shared a smile.

 

* * *

 

His mood was pleasant as he walked through town.

The early August weather was warm but not humid—perks of a desert climate—and he pushed his hands low in his pockets. 

The mood lasted up until he stepped foot inside the lab. 

Equipment was scattered across the floor and tables. He understood they were still settling in, but this was inexcusable. Osric stumbled back into the room just in time to see him swallow his anger, and he offered Jared a tight, nervous smile and a small wave.

“Hi,” he squeaked, already aware of how angry he was. “I was just about to er—tidy up. We just got back.”

“This is broken,” Jared told him as he lifted their inspection camera from the table, or what _had been_ their inspection camera. The LCD was shattered and the cable frayed. It looked like they’d fed it through a wood chipper.

“I know. It’s just—you have no idea the sort of morning we had.”

“It was a doozy,” Misha chimed in as he entered the room behind Osric. “A fissure opened on the west side of town, near the foothills. Huge crack in the ground, and it appeared out of nowhere. We went down to check it out, naturally.”

“What was the cause? Earthquake?”

“Seismic activity was normal at the time. No explanation at the moment, but we wanted to take a look inside so we fed the inspection cam in and—well.” He nodded towards the remains of the camera in Jared’s hands. “We couldn’t get a clear reading. The LCD went all fuzzy and then something—something rather strong, mind you—pulled the camera inside. A minute later it threw it back out, like that.”

“What was it?”

“Don’t know. You think we were going to start feeling around in there after that thing ate our camera?”

“Right. Sorry.” Jared shook his head. He turned the broken camera over in his hands. “Well, wild animals hiding in the ground aren’t exactly what we’re here to study so—“

“We don’t know that it was an animal,” Osric pointed out. “We don’t even know where the crack came from. It could be any number of things, not to mention things that are beyond our knowledge." Pausing, Osric drew a breath in and smiled. His eyes were wide and Jared could only imagine what wild notions were flying through his mind at the moment. "We were able to get a couple of flickering images on the cam before they went fuzzy, and honestly? We’ve all seen images taken in caves and crevices, glimpses of what’s beneath the earth’s surface. This was something else entirely. It was like… a look inside a different world.”

Jared turned and saw Misha nodding his head in agreement. He rolled his eyes.

“You’re rubbing off on him, you know that,” he told Misha. 

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to come here. You’re the one who wanted to explain the unexplainable,” Misha retorted. “We’re just telling you the facts.”

“I’d rather take a look at our seismogram because I’m guessing it malfunctioned and didn’t record whatever disturbance caused the fissure to open, and there’s probably a bobcat or something holed up inside.”

“Isn’t it our duty as scientists to keep our minds open to possibility? To remain curious and constantly seeking?” Misha insisted. Jared didn’t have to look to know that Osric was nodding his head and probably opening his mouth to add some other starry-eyed notion.

“Our duty is to find a logical explanation for the weird shit that happens in this town,” he countered, shutting both of them down. “We’re not here to talk about monsters from other worlds opening holes between their universes and ours and breaking through the earth’s surface in order to eat our equipment. Because that isn’t science; it’s science fiction and ridiculous.”

“We didn’t say anything about monsters,” Misha scoffed.

“And I’m pretty sure you just described the plot of Pacific Rim,” Osric added. “Minus the equipment eating part, they were more set on destroying humanity and taking the earth for themselves.”

“Whatever.” Jared waved a hand through the air and strode towards the back room. “I’m going to get some real work done.” Before he could exit the room entirely however, he paused in the doorway and glanced back to add, “But for the record: we should probably watch Pacific Rim tonight. Because I really like that movie.”

“Movie night!” Misha declared. “I’ll buy popcorn.”

“And booze,” Osric added.

“Of course, that goes without saying,” he heard Misha affirm and he closed the door behind himself, muffling their conversation.

He walked across the room and took a seat behind his desk. 

There were samples scattered across its surface, and when he opened his computer he was faced with a few files of data they had just started collecting. 

He’d been ecstatic when their grant had been approved, but now that they were here? There was a little more going on than he’d expected. He’d anticipated a few weird things to study and get to the bottom of, but they had barely been in town a week and he already had six files of data collected from various events, and an entire notebook page filled with other things they needed to look into.

He’d always approached science with an open mind, and he wished he could be like Misha and Osric and feel excited about the unknown but… he couldn’t. Some of the things they’d seen here so far were just so _out there_. He felt like there was a practical joke being played, one that everyone but him was in on. 

“Get it together, Padalecki,” he muttered to himself.

But instead of facing his computer, he began to organize his desk drawers instead.

 

* * *

 

He listened to Jensen’s show each day.

Whether he was tinkering with something in the lab or browsing numbers and figures on his computer, he listened. It kept him up to date on stranger than strange happenings in the town (he still couldn’t make heads or tails of what was real and what was exaggerated), and there was the added bonus of getting to hear the low, comfortable tumble of Jensen’s voice. 

It was something he looked forward to each day.

Two weeks had passed, and Jensen had become a friend.

It was nice to have a contact outside of Misha and Osric, not to mention somebody with such close ties to the town. They exchanged emails daily, and Jensen’s need for caffeine meant he was always up for a coffee date.

After a particularly frustrating morning that included new data collected from the fissure that didn’t make any sense, and Osric breaking a glass and spilling orange juice across some important papers, he needed to get away from the lab. 

Coffee with a side of Jensen was the cure.

“How are things coming?” Jensen asked.

They were seated at the Ugly Mug, and that was the last thing Jared had wanted to talk about. Instead, he focused on Jensen, who looked exceptionally good that morning. He was dressed in a blue-checkered shirt beneath a maroon waistcoat and wore glasses, which was a cute touch. 

“Good,” Jared lied.

“Bullshit,” Jensen said. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a lot to learn here.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? It’s kind of the reason you’re here.”

He scratched absently at his temple and was unable to admit he was overwhelmed. 

“Or not,” Jensen said, filling the space of Jared’s silence. “I don’t know much about science or anything like that, but if you ever need a second opinion or just _an_ opinion—I’m always here. Just so you know.”

“I appreciate that,” he mumbled in response.

The coffee break was meant to take his mind off of his research, but he clearly needed something more. The gears began to turn and he threw caution to the wind.

“Maybe we should get dinner,” Jared suggested. He recognized that it was a little out of the blue, but he’d gathered enough from their chemistry to know that it was a reasonable suggestion. Anyway, he liked Jensen. A lot. It was a risk he was willing to take.

“Dinner. As in, a date?” Jensen asked.

“Yeah. A date.”

Jensen’s eyes widened a little, surprised. After a moment of consideration however, he relaxed and nodded his head a little. “Sure,” he said. “Why not.” 

Jared let out a huff of laughter. “Why not?” he asked. They were off to a romantic start.

“Yes,” Jensen clarified. “Dinner sounds great. Not sure what sort of sentimental acceptance you were expecting but that’s all you’re getting, buddy.”

“Fine, fine,” Jared said lightly.

Across the table, Jensen fidgeted with his coffee a little. Turned his cup in a half circle and then cracked a small smile. Jared mirrored it and silently, he felt relieved. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done if Jensen had said no. This was the change of pace he needed. It was something to look forward to—something besides yet another day filled with unbelievable data.

Things were looking up.

 

* * *

 

He took Jensen to dinner on Saturday.

They met at Jensen’s apartment, which was a small one-bedroom above a bookstore. He’d gotten there a few minutes early and Jensen was still in the process of getting dressed, with only his undershirt and a pair of black jeans on. 

He waved Jared inside and assured him, “It’s okay—I was running behind. Sorry. Have a seat, I’ll be ready in ten. Watch out for Clovis. He’s in a mood today.”

“Clovis?”

Jensen didn’t have to offer an explanation, however. As if on cue, a sleek, grey cat with black stripes brushed past his leg and hopped up onto the sofa. Jensen waved a hand in the cat’s direction and then disappeared into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, Jared took a seat opposite his furry companion. The cat gave him a suspicious _meow_ before turning his head the other way.

“Hello to you too,” he murmured, and then settled back against the sofa.

The apartment wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d envisioned something sleek and modern to match Jensen’s tailored look, but what he found was much more rustic, like a cottage or a page out of a catalog for Christmas decorations. There were different grains of wood, comfortable, warm pieces of furniture and a quilt draping the back of an armchair. The only thing missing was a crackling fireplace.

When Jensen walked back into the room a few minutes later, he smelled wonderful and wore a blue oxford with a skinny tie. He pulled a soft, grey wool cardigan over the top and smiled in Jared’s direction.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Of course,” Jared replied, and rose to his feet.

“See ya later,” Jensen said, reaching over the back of the couch to give his cat a scratch beneath the chin. Clovis gave a low, contented purr while simultaneously giving Jared a death-glare that he assumed meant, _I’ll spare you for now given that my master is happy but so help me if you deprive me of his company again_. He took a slow step back. He didn’t trust cats.

A minute later they were out the door. 

“I was thinking we could go to Mogi’s. Best burgers in town, plus they have some great local brews on tap,” Jensen told him. 

He nodded in approval. “Burgers and beer—the fastest way to my heart,” he said.

“I’m off to a good start, huh?”

“Fair, I’d say,” he said, giving Jensen a smile. Then, he looked up towards the sky. It was clear, dotted with stars and a bright, waxing gibbous moon. “Nice night,” he commented. At his side, Jensen nodded.

“Definitely. And the trees are quiet tonight. Can hardly hear them talking.”

He laughed a little. “Never heard it put like that,” he said. It was a rather charming way to say that the leaves were rustling in the wind.

“Like what?” Jensen asked.

They approached a cluster of trees. He tilted his head, inclined his ear towards them and slowed his steps. “Huh,” he muttered. “It does sound like they’re talking, doesn’t it,” he marveled. He couldn’t feel a breeze, but it must be just enough to be hitting the leaves _just so_. As they passed, he could almost hear the indistinct murmur of voices. Like a quiet conversation in another room.

“Like I said,” Jensen replied flatly. “They’re quiet tonight, but don’t worry—you aren’t missing much. They mostly talk about dull things, especially once Fall arrives because then it’s all about chlorophyll breaking down and _your pigment looks great—I’d kill for that vibrant of an orange_. Who cares, y’know.”

Jared laughed. Maybe a little harder than necessary, but the notion was funny—kind of weird—but a funny kind of weird. The laugh seemed to startle Jensen. He looked up at Jared, a little wide-eyed, but then relaxed and smiled. Jared envied him—envied his mind and his imagination. He never knew what would come out of his mouth next, and that was exciting.

He reached down and took Jensen’s hand in his. He gave it a light squeeze, and Jensen squeezed back. 

They carried on down the street and not once did Jared consider that Jensen might have meant the trees were _actually_ talking to one another.

 

* * *

 

The burgers didn’t disappoint.

Neither did the kiss that Jensen gave him at the end of the evening. In front of his apartment, he pushed up onto his toes ever so slightly to make up for the difference between their heights. He pressed his body into Jared’s, the warmth of his cardigan and the heat from his skin seeping into Jared’s, and pecked him lightly on the lips. It was short but sweet and he gave Jared a smile and a wink before saying goodnight.

Jared walked back to the house he was renting. 

He wasn’t off to the best start in this town, that was for sure. But this evening with Jensen had been nice. A much needed break, and he looked at it as a sign of things turning around. Hands deep in his pockets, he enjoyed the stroll home. His mind danced across Jensen’s lips on his and he imagined what lay beneath those waistcoats.

He didn’t even notice the group of trees off to his right, which quietly gossiped about his shoes and what product he used in his hair.

 

* * *

 

_Good afternoon, Midnight Valley. This is Jensen Ackles and I’d like to remind everybody that tickets for the Fall Harvest Festival go on sale today. The earlier you buy, the more you save. They will be available at the Midnight Valley Municipal Center, plus local businesses. A full list of businesses with tickets available can be found on our blog._

_“You can always purchase your tickets online as well, by which I of course mean on a sheet of paper, clearly write Fall Harvest Festival along with the number of tickets you wish to purchase. Then, attach the sheet of paper and your money or check to the local purchase line that comes standard in each Midnight Valley home. When you turn your head, the request will be whisked away. Please allow up to an hour for your tickets to arrive. The mysterious forces that run this handy service can’t be rushed._

_“In other news, the large crack in the ground that appeared last week near the Yellow Owl Hills remains open. When asked, local government officials insisted the crack has always been there. That it’s the Midnight Valley Fissure and a popular tourist attraction with plenty of publicity and souvenirs. When asked if they could produce a souvenir, they claimed all souvenirs were being cleaned but would arrive back from the cleaners in six to eight weeks._

_“Now, I personally don’t remember this nor do I consider the group of local children who occasionally gather around the crack to throw objects inside to be tourists, but who am I to judge. Anyway, memory is a funny thing. I often recall things that the local government reminds me never happened or are not true. I guess it’s part of life and we should thank them for keeping us in touch with reality._

_“When asked, our resident scientists Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins were not sure what to make of the crack but assured me that monsters from another world would probably not be emerging from it anytime soon.”_

 

* * *

 

“What else do you got?”

It was after work one evening, and Jensen and Felicia were at Kim’s bar. The round top of their table was covered in papers and Felicia had her notebook out as they went over upcoming stories.

“I talked to a couple people and it turns out Mr. Bradley was exaggerating a teensy bit in saying all of the carrots in his garden had come out striped in gold and silver. Turns out it was purple, and who cares about that. I mean hello, purple carrots were the original carrots,” Felicia said with a huff. She crossed something off of her list while Jensen finished his beer.

Kim wandered over to their table. “I hear there’s a swarm of hummingbirds outside of Ms. Tillison’s home,” she told them. “Been there for over a week and are building a small village of nests in her shrubs.” She approximated the shape of a small golf ball-sized hummingbird’s nest with her fingers and Jensen raised his brow.

“Really?” he asked. “Again?”

“No, not really,” Kim replied. “Just kidding. But they sure were pretty, weren’t they?”

“They thought my hair was food,” Felicia mumbled. Jensen smiled a little as he recalled the sight, and Kim gave Felicia’s shoulder a warm squeeze.

“They kind of looked like tiny, moving accessories,” she commented. She danced her fingers over the air above Felicia’s head and Felicia nodded.

“True,” she said.

“Can I get you two another round?” asked Kim as she picked their empty glasses up.

“Sure,” he replied. After she’d walked away, he turned back to Felicia. “What about the fissure?” He asked. “You go down there like I asked?”

“Ah yes, the so-called Midnight Valley Fissure,” she said. “Nothing’s really changed. I started to crawl inside but my phone went off and I had to respond to a couple tweets so maybe next time.”

“I wouldn’t recommend climbing inside,” he told her, knowing her curiosity often got the best of her. He couldn’t really afford nor did he want her to go missing yet again.

“Why not? There might be something cool inside.”

He shrugged his shoulders a little, unable to argue with that. “Maybe wear a harness, if you do,” was all he could say.

“I can probably get one from Osric. I ran into him while I was there. He was getting some information for Jared and Misha—had all this crazy equipment and invited me to come by the lab sometime so I could check it all out.” She paused, as if contemplating something, and then said, “Cute kid, huh?”

“Not exactly my type,” he replied. “But he’s very nice.”

“Right. You’re more interested in his boss. How’s that going, anyway?”

“Great,” he answered without a beat. “We’ve had dinner a few times, saw a movie last week, and—well.” He stopped there, and left her imagination to fill in the blanks. He wasn’t about to divulge the personal details of their relationship, but silently he thought of how solid Jared had been beneath those plaid shirts, and how the light scruff of his beard had felt when he’d kissed him. Things were going _very_ well.

He shifted a little in his seat and must have drifted off in thought a little because Felicia was grinning at him from across the table.

“He’s a great guy,” he concluded.

“Good for you,” she said. 

Then, she pulled her gaze upward.

He felt a warm, firm body press against the back of his chair.

“Who’s a great guy?” Jared’s voice asked.

“Definitely not you,” he lied.

Jared’s laugh was a warm rumble in his ear. It reverberated through his body, and he smiled.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, they were crammed into a booth together. 

Jared sat next to him, his thigh a warm, comfortable weight against his, while Misha sat opposite them. Next to him, Felicia and Osric were lost in their own conversation. They argued which DPS class was best, and Felicia had twice turned to Jensen, asking he back her up. He’d simply shaken his head because he wasn’t drunk enough to pretend he knew what they were talking about.

“I just want to prove everyone wrong, you know?” Jared was saying. 

“The people we work with—well, they can sort of be jerks,” Misha commented, and Jared nodded his head.

“I had Rachel, one of my friends and colleagues, review the grant while I was working on it. You know what she said? She asked if it was a book I was working on. Said that a force that drives those trying to leave back to the center of town and a group of five hundred residents who possess the power of mind-control is just silly. She called it a hoax and said I was better than this.”

“Better than what?” Jensen asked.

“Better than studying something like this. Like it was beneath me or something.”

“Fringe science is frowned upon in our circle,” Misha commented.

Jared scowled in his direction. “This isn’t fringe science,” he argued. “There’s a logical explanation behind everything that happens here and that’s what we’re going to find.”

“Fringe science?” He felt a little lost. 

“The rather far out ideas in science,” Misha clarified. “On the fringes of the credible, academic discipline, so to speak.”

“I know,” he said, because he understood what fringe science was. “Why would what happens in our town be considered on the fringe of credibility, though?”

Jared shot Misha a look and then turned back.

“It isn’t,” he assured him. “As Mish said, they’re jerks.”

Misha nodded. “They don’t appreciate how fascinating this town is.”

“Exactly,” Jared said. “I know the things I presented in the grant were radical, but I thought people would be as excited as I was. I didn’t expect to lose friends or part of my reputation in wanting to come here. It kind of hurts, knowing everyone’s laughing behind your back over a project you’re passionate about.”

He swallowed thickly as he said this. Jensen frowned. He hadn’t realized what a hard journey it had been for Jared to get them here. Beneath the table, he found Jared’s hand. He squeezed it lightly and Jared squeezed back.

“Fuck ‘em,” Misha said quietly, and Jared nodded.

“Guess that’s all I can say at this point. Anyway, the real problem is beginning to make sense of the data we’ve collected.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Osric said, leaning into the table. “We’ve only been here, what? Two months? We have plenty of time to interpret the data.”

“Exactly,” Misha agreed. “You worry too much. That’s why we dragged you away from the lab tonight in an effort to get you to have a little fun.”

“Well, it _was_ nice to get away from the lab,” he admitted. He picked his glass up and drained the remainder of his beer. Then, he looked at Jensen’s own empty glass and asked, “Want another?”

“Nah,” he said. “I’m good. It’s getting kind of late, anyway.”

Time had slipped away, and it was already inching towards ten.

He laid a hand on Jared’s thigh beneath the table and squeezed a little. “But you could walk me home, maybe?” he asked. He wanted to take Jared’s mind off of everything he’d been worrying about earlier, and figured peeling that tight v-neck from his body and licking every inch of skin that lay beneath might do the trick.

Jared’s gaze grew heated and he smiled a little.

“I could do that,” he said, placing a hand over his. “You sure?”

Jensen nodded.

They said goodnight to the others and then walked back to Jensen’s. 

The house Jared was renting was closer, but he shared it with Osric and Misha so for the sake of privacy Jensen’s had become their destination of choice. Clovis wasn’t entirely happy with this fact, but he’d have to deal. He’d been the sole object of Jensen’s affection for three years now and could learn to share the spotlight. 

For now, however, he was passive-aggressively throwing hairballs up in Jensen’s shoes or furiously shedding in his hamper.

Once inside the apartment, they made their way into the bedroom.

It was late, and both of them were tired. They made out a little. Exchanged slow, lazy kisses and tangled together atop to the comforter. He pushed his hands up and under Jared’s shirt. Traced his sides and slid his thumbs over the sharp jut of his hipbones. Jared let out a soft moan, and Jensen licked up into his mouth. He tasted like beer and smelled of cologne, rich and spicy with a hint of citrus. 

Jared gripped him by the hips and pulled his body against his, tight. The friction was overwhelming. Jensen mewed softly and felt Jared begin to undo his jeans. He arched his hips to help him along, but that was when Jared stopped and let out a sharp cry.

“Fuck,” he said, and let go of Jensen’s body.

“What?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

He looked down and immediately noticed Clovis at the foot of the bed, one clawed paw pressed down on Jared’s ankle.

“Oh, get out of here,” Jensen said, picking up his discarded cardigan and throwing it at the cat. Clovis meowed, offended, and hopped off the bed. He began to strut away, but not before shooting him a look that said he’d find something tampered with come morning.

“Sorry about that,” he said apologetically, and turned back to Jared. The mood was gone now and Jared flopped back against the pillow.

“I don’t think he likes me,” he said. Jensen fit himself against his chest and allowed him to curl an arm around his shoulders.

“He’s sulking,” he told him. “But he’ll get used to you.”

“He’d better. Otherwise I’ll sic my dog on him.”

“You have a dog?”

“Luna,” Jared said. “She’s the friendliest dog ever though, so I was just kidding about sending her after your cat. She’s staying with a friend while I’m here. Didn’t bring her with me because I figured I should focus on work. Although I guess as far as distractions go, I’ve pretty much failed at steering clear of them.” 

He gave Jensen’s arm a warm squeeze to emphasize what particular distraction he was referring to. Jensen smiled, but he did worry sometimes. As much as he enjoyed his time with Jared, he didn’t want to keep him from his work.

“Let me know if I’m ever getting in the way.”

“No, I was joking,” Jared assured him. “I’m a big boy who can balance work and play.”

Right. _Work_.

“Listen, earlier? When you were talking about how crappy everyone’s been to you in wanting to come here. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be, and don’t feel bad for me either. It sucks, but that’s life.”

“You find anything interesting lately?”

“Well, yesterday we were looking at that house on Golden West—you know, the one that occasionally disappears? Misha’s pretty excited by what the cause is.”

“I know the house. There’re a few designated time-jump areas in town. Time gets a little confused—jumps back and forth—and when that spot leaps to a time when the house wasn’t built yet… well, of course we can’t see it. It doesn’t exist anymore. Or, at least, it won’t exist against until time sorts itself out.”

“God,” Jared whispered. “I wish I could wrap my mind around even a quarter of the things you say.” 

“What do you mean?” He turned back to look at him. The concept was fairly simple, and he wasn’t sure why Jared would be confused. 

Jared gave him a long look that he couldn’t read. He parted his lips as if to answer, but closed them a moment later. “Nothing,” was what he said with a light shake of his head. Jensen had a feeling that it wasn’t _nothing_ , but he didn’t press. 

Closing his eyes, Jared pulled him closer. Jensen sunk into the embrace and in the silence they drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Jensen made breakfast the next morning.

He padded barefoot around his kitchen in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt he’d changed into after their shower. Jared wore one of his t-shirts, which was a little tight in the shoulders but otherwise sufficed. He ate the eggs Jensen piled onto his plate, along with the toast.

“What is this thing, anyway?” he asked. With his index finger, he gestured to the cable running across the kitchen. It disappeared into a small, rectangular hole in the wall.

“Purchase line,” Jensen answered. He refilled Jared’s coffee.

“What’s it for?”

“Anything available through Midnight Valley’s purchase line,” he replied simply, like it was obvious. “The house you’re renting should have one.”

“It does, but I kind of thought it was a hanging clothes to dry or something. How’s it work?”

“I don’t know,” Jensen sighed. “Mysterious forces or whatever.” 

He was clearly annoying him with this conversation. Jensen wasn’t exactly a morning person, but he did look deliciously rumpled, his hair still damp and sticking up in odd spikes, so it kind of made up for the irritated expression.

“Don’t you have the internet? That’s how I order stuff.” 

“Of course we have the internet,” Jensen said. “You know that. And sure we can order things but sometimes the delivery trucks vanish en route and then it’s a hassle getting a refund so… I don’t know. This is easier.”

“Hm.”

He made a note to investigate how the purchase lines really worked. As cool as ‘mysterious forces’ sounded, it didn’t exactly… well, make sense. There had to be an organization behind it.

 

* * *

 

Jared knew it had been coming for a while now.

He’d dodged the subject a couple of times, but it kept coming up and now he had no choice but to say yes.

Jensen wanted him to make an appearance on the show.

“Maybe you should go instead,” he told Misha.

They were seated in their lab. Misha was analyzing soil samples they’d taken, muttering about manganese and phosphorus and _what the hell is that_. Jared sat a few feet away at his desk, fiddling with their hygrothermograph. 

“Pretty sure he invited you,” Misha replied, 

“Yeah, but—isn’t it a little unprofessional? Appearing on my boyfriend’s show? It’s blatant favoritism. Plus, we probably shouldn’t be talking about our research. It hasn’t been made public yet.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” he asked, that being the only thing he took from Jared’s babbling.

“We’ve thrown the word around a couple times,” he admitted.

“Good for you. Go make an appearance on your boyfriend’s show. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun,” he murmured to himself. “Sure.” 

Osric and Misha kept telling him he worried too much, but he couldn’t help it.

“Look, Jay. I can tell you’re overwhelmed, but don’t let it get to you. Talk about the things we’ve looked at. The samples we’ve taken. Maybe a couple of the analyses we’ve run. You don’t have to talk about what it _means_ because hell, we have no idea what it means.”

“I don’t know. I woke up with a little bit of a tickle in my throat this morning. I probably shouldn’t go out. Plus, I should check on Osric. After what happened to him yesterday…”

“Osric is fine. You’re fine. Calm down, okay?”

He didn’t respond.

Misha stood up and walked over. He leaned into the side of his desk and looked him in the eye. “Jared,” he said firmly.

“I’ll go,” he finally said.

“Good.”

“There’s just so much more going on here than I expected,” he murmured. “And I can hardly wrap my mind around any of it. I mean, Jensen talks to me and sometimes I can’t even follow him because he just doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t make sense to _you_ ,” Misha corrected.

He sighed. “Yeah, I guess. This place, man… I don’t know.”

“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way,” Misha said. “You look at the piles of information we can’t explain like it’s a bad thing. But it isn’t. We’ve stumbled upon a place that seems to have redefined the laws of science, and life as we know it. We have piles of information we can’t explain! How exciting is that!” He punched Jared’s arm, trying to cheer him up. Jared mustered a small smile.

“It isn’t the first time I’ve heard it put like that.”

“Then maybe you need to start seeing it that way.”

“I’ll try,” he sighed. “But we can only say that for so long, you know? We have to communicate our progress eventually and we can’t have it sounding like something out of Lovecraft or an episode of the Twilight Zone.”

“I’d be much more interested in reading Lovecraft that some of those boring reports,” Misha said. Jared was about to give him a look, but saw that he was smiling. He smiled as well. 

“Me too,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. We have to make sense of what’s going on here to show that we’re accomplishing something.”

“We will. Just give it time. And even if we don’t, there are always other sources for funding.”

“You’re way too optimistic, man.”

“Maybe,” Misha said with a shrug. “Or maybe I’ve just become pretty damn passionate about this place. One of us has to be.”

He frowned a little at that, and felt a twinge of guilt in his chest.

 

* * *

 

_”I have a special guest in the studio today. Jared Padalecki, half of our resident science team, is here. How are you, Jared?”_

_“I’m great, Jensen. Yourself?”_

_“Fantastic. Now, I’m sure everyone has seen you and your team around town by now. You have all kinds of fascinating gadgets and everyone is dying to know: what have you found? Is there anything particularly interesting about Midnight Valley?”_

_“Well, that would be the understatement of the year. There is quite a bit that’s interesting about Midnight Valley. Unfortunately, I’m not privy to discussing any conclusions at this point. It’s a little too early for that; we’ve only been in town for a couple of months now, after all. What I can say, however, is that we are very excited by what we have found. There seems to be something new for us to study every week.”_

_“What are you looking at currently?”_

_“Well—um—yesterday we ran some tests on the house on Golden West. Our intern, Osric, went inside and uh—well—it disappeared. While he was inside.”_

_“As it often does. Now, listeners, I’ve clued Jared in to some of the designated time-jump spots around town.”_

_“Right… you did. We’re still trying to figure out the cause but uh—well, it reappeared approximately an hour after Osric had entered the premises. He came out, unharmed, and it was as if no time at all had passed for him. He wondered why we looked so worried and only flinched when he saw the time on his watch.”_

_“We don’t recommend stepping into any of the time-jump areas. I’d like to remind everyone that you do need a permit to enter one, and if you don’t, a fine may apply in both the present and the time that you find yourself transported to.”_

_“Erm. Right.”_

_“Besides your research, have you been enjoying your time in our town?”_

_“Definitely. It’s a great place, with a lot of great people.”_

_“I’m sure everyone is happy to hear that. Thank you for your time, Jared.”_

_“Thank you for having me.”_

 

* * *

 

The broadcast mercifully came to an end, but that didn’t stop him from replaying his stuttering and stammering in his head. 

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Jensen frowned and removed his headphones. “For what?” he asked.

“That was awful. I was awful.”

“You seemed a little nervous,” Jensen commented. “But other than that, you were fine. Plus, we’ve had so many requests for someone from your team to appear on the show that people will be happy no matter what.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled. Jensen slid his chair closer and bumped his thigh against his, then leaned in as if to kiss him. Before he could reach him however, Felicia cleared her throat loudly on the other side of the room.

“This is your workplace, Jensen,” she announced in mock irritation. “Try to be professional.”

Jensen pulled away from Jared and shouted back towards her, “That’s fresh, coming from the girl with Facebook open on her computer while she texts somebody on her phone.”

“I’m not texting, thank you very much. I’m playing Words with Friends against Osric and he’s killing me.”

“Careful,” Jared told her. “Misha’s probably with him and he likes to play dirty.”

“That little shit. I mean, _zaxes_? Seriously? Double-letter for the ‘z’ plus a triple word score for 93 points.”

“Zaxes,” Jared said. “The plural form of zax, which is a tool used to cut and dress roofing.”

“I know what a zax is,” she replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Jared lifted his brow, amused. Then, she asked, “How is he, anyway? After the whole disappearing along with the house thing?”

“Fine,” Jared answered. “A little shaken, but okay.”

“Cool. I’ll have to get him a _Congratulations on your first jump through time_ card.”

“Do they make those?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jensen replied. “But as I said, you aren’t technically supposed to enter any of those areas so you kind of have to know where to buy them.”

“And I know,” Felicia announced, proudly.

“Of course you would,” Jensen said. She stuck her tongue out at him and then turned her attention back to her phone.

Jensen leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. He looked up at the wall, towards the dry-erase calendar that outlined the month of October. “Want to go to the Fall Harvest Festival with me?” he asked. Jared looked towards the calendar and saw FHF written in red on Friday of that week. “It’s up by Yellow Owl Hills.”

“Sure,” he replied with a nod. He’d heard about it—it’d be hard _not_ to hear about it. It was apparently a pretty big deal and he’d planned to check it out either way. “Isn’t that where the fissure is, though?”

“Yeah, but that’s where the fairgrounds are so they couldn’t really change the location. They’ll probably tape the hole off, anyway. Or make some sort of spectacle of it. Who knows.”

“Right, because it’s the town’s oldest and most treasured landmark, right?” he asked, grinning. Jensen smiled.

“Sure is. Or so our local government insists.”

“They don’t actually expect anybody to buy that, do that?”

“Of course they do. And most people probably _have_ already adapted it as a truth.”

“That’s crazy. You do realize how crazy that sounds, right?” he asked, but Jensen kept his gaze trained on the wall.

“I don’t see what’s so crazy about it,” he replied. “Memory is a funny thing. Maybe they’re right and it’s been there all along.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t quite find the words. Now wasn’t a time to argue, however. Jensen said stuff like that from time to time, and part of him wondered if it was an ongoing joke that he didn’t understand. So he swallowed his bewilderment and sat up a little straighter in his seat.

“Well, whatever,” he said, brushing the topic off. “I’d love to go to the Fall Harvest Festival with you.”

Jensen perked back up at that.

“Great,” he said. “Although, be warned: it’s kind of awful. I’m talking bad, live music and pumpkin carving and carnival games. But I have to go and do this live broadcast thing and I’d love to have you suffer along with me.”

“Hey, I happen to love carnival games.”

“Yeah?” Jensen asked, lifting an eyebrow. “You plan on winning me a giant teddy bear?”

“I guarantee it,” he said, and then slipped a couple of fingers between the buttons of Jensen’s waistcoat and tugged him forward into a kiss. 

Jensen kissed back momentarily, then pressed a hand against Jared’s chest and shoved him away. He rolled his eyes a little as he stood up, but as he walked towards his desk Jared heard him mutter a soft, “You better”.

And he would. 

He’d win him twenty teddy bears and all sorts of other stupid carnival prizes, including a goldfish that his cat would probably eat. He knew Jensen would scoff at anything he _actually_ won for him, but he’d also quietly love it because underneath that cranky exterior, he was a bit of a sap. Someone who liked to cuddle and steal kisses beneath the covers in the morning before groaning and insisting he leave so he could get ready.

Jared smiled a little, lost in thought.

What could he say; he was head-over-heels for the guy.

 

* * *

 

It was on a Thursday that everything went to hell.

Jensen woke up late, and found that Clovis had clawed at the outfit he’d set out the night before. If he had a few more minutes, he would have mourned the loss of one of his favorite shirts and maybe mended the pants, but it was a long shot. For now however, he set the frustration aside and shot a glare towards his cat, who was lounging near the window.

Hurriedly, he put another outfit together and rushed out the door. 

He’d been invited to sit in on a town council meeting that morning. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but seeing as the sessions were closed and the minutes released after left much to be desired, he hadn’t been about to pass on the opportunity. As soon as he sat down at the table however, he realized he’d forgotten his laptop. He mentally slapped himself and accepted a scrap of paper and pen from the council member sitting to his right. He hated longhand and he also hated meetings without coffee, which was apparently the situation that morning.

“Sorry honey,” said Linda, the executive assistant who was passing out agendas. “Machine broke this morning.”

“Of course it did,” he muttered, but forced a smile and accepted his agenda.

It was two hours of rather mind-numbing chatter, but he’d managed to glean a few points of interest he could report. As it came to a close, he texted Jared beneath the table, asking if he wanted to meet after and if he could have the largest, strongest coffee waiting for him. Jared agreed, of course.

As he rose from his seat, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Ackles,” said the voice from behind him.

“Yes?” He asked, turning.

He found himself face to face with Mark Pelligrino, one of the Town Enjoyment Officers. He smiled at Jensen in a way that made his stomach knot. Town Enjoyment Officers were not somebody you wanted to address you. Ever. And unfortunately they addressed Jensen quite often.

“I wanted to speak with you about yesterday’s broadcast,” he said.

“You’re a listener, huh?” Jensen asked. “Didn’t peg you for one.” Pelligrino’s smile didn’t waver.

“We’re always listening,” he said, and Jensen flinched.

He proceeded to dress him down for questioning the new bylaw banning the use of toasters. It was a stupid rule, in his opinion, and he’d voiced his thoughts yesterday. Who cared if some people had been receiving instructions to loot or riot burned into their toast? Jensen liked toast in the morning and he hadn’t received any malevolent orders. Not yet, at least. And neither had anybody he knew. 

Pelligrino proceeded to cite a number of other violations. Other local government items he was guilty of questioning or simply not supporting wholeheartedly on air. He only recalled a handful of them, and tried to look apologetic.

“It won’t happen again,” he promised, but Pellegrino didn’t looked convinced. Jensen was transfixed by his expression, truth be told. He’d never seen anyone smile while simultaneously looking so cold.

“I expect to hear an apology on air today,” was his response. “Along with the surrender of your toaster.”

“Of course,” he said, and bit back the urge to roll his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, he was seated with Jared at the Ugly Mug.

He detailed his morning and Jared frowned at him from across the table.

“I’m sorry,” he told him. “You can use my toaster, if you want—no way I’m giving it up.”

“Rebel,” he commented.

His nerves were already frayed however, and neither the coffee nor Jared could do much to elevate his mood.

“Do they actually care that much? What you say on air, I mean?”

“Of course they do.”

Jared seemed rather ignorant to how intimidating the local government could be. Like the other day, when he’d asked whether people actually believed that the fissure had been there all along. It was a silly question. If officials said it had been, then maybe it had been. Jensen was still undecided, but Jared should know how confusing these situations were. 

“Freedom of press, is all I’m saying,” said Jared. “You have a right to an opinion.”

“Not really,” he replied slowly. “I mean I do, but I don’t. I can say whatever I want, but I’m probably going to pay for it later. And now I have to apologize on air.”

“That’s stupid,” Jared spat. “It’s not like you made a mistake in reporting, you simply said what you _thought_. What you thought about _toasters_ , no less. It’s ridiculous.”

He shrugged lightly. “Well, I thought wrong. Anyway, it’s not like it’s going to make me stop—they already hate me and I really don’t care. It’s not the first time I’ve apologized and I’ll probably do it again before the month is over.”

“All I’m saying is that it’s crazy.”

“You’ve been saying that a lot lately, you know. Calling me or this town crazy.”

“So?” Jared asked. “I mean, the stuff that happens here—it _is_ pretty crazy, and pretty fucking weird. You have to recognize that.”

“Crazy and weird. Awesome,” he muttered beneath his breath.

He liked Jared, obviously. A lot. But sometimes Jared opened his mouth and Jensen kind of hated him. It felt like he was constantly judging. Like he thought he was better than everyone, or something. Although given that he was there to _study_ them… well, he probably was constantly judging and evaluating. Like specimens in whatever experiment he was running.

“I’m just tired,” he finally said. “You call my broadcast science fiction and imply that there’s something wrong with the everyday stuff that happens around here.”

“Well, there is,” Jared said simply. “But that’s what I’m trying to figure out—why the stuff that happens here… well, why it happens.”

“I’m beginning to see why people were upset that scientists felt a need to study our town,” Jensen said, fists clenching beneath the table. “I love Midnight Valley, and to say that there’s something _wrong_ with it?” His eyes darted away from Jared and he swallowed thickly. After the pause, he said, “Well, you’re kind of saying there’s something wrong with me too because I don’t see anything particularly strange about the things that happen here.”

Jared frowned, and reached across the table. He took Jensen’s hand into his, and squeezed lightly. Jensen didn’t pull away, but he didn’t share in the embrace either. He let his hand sit limply while Jared rubbed soft circles across his skin with the rough pad of his thumb.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jared said quietly. His tone was smooth and sincere. “There’s nothing wrong with the town, or with you. It’s just that… compared to where I come from, things here are _different_. And we’re here to learn.”

And he knew that. Of course he did. But combined with the morning he’d had, he wasn’t in the mood to talk it out.

“Well,” he said, finally pulling his hand away. “Last I checked, you had an awful lot of data and didn’t have a clue what to make of it. Get back to me once you’ve managed to draw a conclusion or two from it and articulate _why_ we’re so different.”

With that, he stood up from the table and grabbed his coffee.

As he headed for the door, he heard Jared begin to stammer a response but he didn’t stop to listen to it.

 

* * *

 

The opening day of the Fall Harvest Festival was bustling, as always.

He did a live broadcast from a booth they’d set up. Felicia co-hosted, something she didn’t do often because she couldn’t stand the sound of her voice on air, but she made an exception that day. Partly because he was still sulking from the fight he’d had with Jared, and partly because they’d invited a few people with questions up to the booth and he hated being put on the spot like that. She was much better than him in impromptu situations. 

Afterward, they packed their stuff into Felicia’s car and headed back inside to enjoy the Festival.

“Beer tent?” she asked as soon as they were inside again.

“Of course,” he replied.

The grounds were set up rather simply, with carnival games and rides in the center and all the other booths surrounding them. The beer tent sat off on the far side of the grounds, mere yards from the fissure that remained. It had been dutifully marked off with a few strands of caution tape, but the layout was so poorly planned it almost hurt. He saw disaster in the near future.

With a couple of pints in hand, he and Felicia took a seat at one of the tables.

“Have you heard from Jared?” she asked, and he rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

“He asked if I still wanted to go to the Festival together. I didn’t reply.”

“Cold,” Felicia commented. He sighed, and recognized that he was being rather petty.

“I’m going to call him tomorrow and apologize. What I said was a little uncalled for. I just need another day because I’m still a little annoyed. I don’t think he understands that there’s a line between studying something for the sake of gaining information and studying something like it’s some sort of freaky anomaly. He’s been teetering towards the latter lately.”

“I don’t think he means to come off like that,” Felicia commented. “Plus, he’s been pretty stressed out lately.” He nodded in agreement. Jared would never do anything malicious like that.

“I know. But it still hurts a little, being called weird.”

“You are a little weird.”

“But when you say it, it’s with love. You know me, and he—well, we haven’t known each other that long. When he said it, it made me feel like a freak or something. I don’t know.”

“Guess it would hurt coming from somebody you really like,” she commented, and he nodded. 

“Exactly.”

They each took a sip of their beers, and then Felicia’s gaze drifted towards the entrance to the tent.

“Speak of the devil,” she said, and he looked back over his shoulder. Jared, Misha, and Osric had just walked in. Jared saw him immediately, and gave him a small wave and half a smile. Jensen returned it halfheartedly.

“The perks of a small town,” Felicia commented, and wasn’t that the truth.

The three went to get their drinks, and then walked over to their table. Osric tapped Felicia on the shoulder and the two immediately began to talk. Misha joined them, and gave Jared and Jensen some space.

“What are you doing here?” Jensen asked, and Jared looked a little hurt.

“You invited me,” he said. “And then you ignored my calls and I still wanted to check it out so…” He trailed off and gestured to the tent around them. “Here I am.”

“I was going to wait until tomorrow,” Jensen said, not looking at Jared but rather focusing on the table. “I needed a little time to clear my head so I wouldn’t say anything I’d regret. Because I already regret a lot of the stuff I said to you.”

“You don’t have to apologize. We both said some shitty things, let’s just leave it at that.”

“I could handle that,” he agreed, and finally looked up to meet Jared’s gaze.

"And for the record, you aren't weird. You're awesome and I'm just... a jerk."

Jensen let out a small breath and shook his head. "Don't," he said. "You aren't. I was having a bad day and you've been stressed... let's just start over. Deal?"

“Deal," Jared agreed. "Guess we had our first fight,” he added, laughing a little.

“Guess so,” he replied.

Before they could say anything else however, there was a loud groan followed by a sickening series of _cracks_. 

Both of their heads shot up and they looked to the far end of the tent. It was collapsing in on itself and slipping down into the ground, out of sight. The scene didn’t make sense initially, but he quickly realized the fissure had begun to grow. It swallowed everything in its path. Luckily, the beer tent wasn’t that full yet. Everyone began to scream and run. Jared grabbed him by the hand and tugged him towards the entrance. Misha, Osric, and Felicia followed.

“Holy shit,” Jensen breathed once they were outside, a safe distance from the edge of the hole. It had quadrupled in size, now spanning at least twenty feet across. A few people walked up to its edge.

“Did anyone fall in?” he heard Felicia ask, her voice frantic. He shook his head.

“I don’t think so. No one was on that end.”

Everyone around them was murmuring, and that was when Jared let go of his hand. He immediately missed the contact and grabbed at the sleeve of his plaid shirt. Jared walked away from him however, slowly approaching the edge. 

Jensen followed, albeit hesitantly.

“Jared?” he asked.

Jared peered over the edge, down into the darkness.

“Jared,” he repeated, but he didn’t seem to hear him. He had an expression on his face that Jensen was unable to read. He wished he knew what he was thinking, because from the look it was something regrettable. 

“You know, you were right,” Jared said. “I marvel at everything that happens in this town, but can’t articulate why or how it’s so fascinating beyond the simple fact that most of it shouldn’t be possible.”

“What are you talking about?” Jensen asked. “I already apologized for saying those things—you pissed me off and I wanted to make you feel bad. I didn’t actually mean any of it.”

“But you were right. It’s about time I draw some conclusions.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode off towards the parking lot. Jensen watched him leave, and then turned to Misha. Silently, he asked what Jared was up to but Misha shook his head, clearly as baffled as he was.

When Jared returned a minute later, he had an armful of equipment.

“This thing appeared shortly after I got here, and I’ve been studying it the entire time,” he said as he dropped everything onto the ground. From the pile, he pulled out a harness and began to secure it around himself. “We’ve been monitoring it, but there’s no clue as to what caused it or what’s inside. And we can’t look inside because it doesn’t seem to want to _let_ us look inside and destroys our equipment every time we’ve tried.” He grabbed a rope and attached it to the harness, then took several long steps backwards. “Tonight, that’s going to change,” he concluded as he secured the rope to one of the carnival rides, using it as an anchor.

“Jared, don’t do this,” Jensen insisted, walking over and laying a hand on his arm. “Seriously. You thought I was crazy? Well, not to call the kettle black but…” He trailed off and Jared laid a hand over his and looked him in the eye.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I want to do this. I need to.”

“You really don’t,” Misha interrupted. “I would not recommend going down there. Like you said, there could be animals or—“

“There aren’t animals down there,” he said, brushing off his previous claim. “This is something else, and I’m going to find out what.”

He shook Jensen’s hand free from his arm and strode back towards the edge. A few chunks of earth crumbled off and tumbled down into the deep, dark abyss. He tested the rope with a few sharp tugs, and then got down onto his hands and knees. Before he lowered himself over the edge however, he met Jensen’s eye and said, “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Jensen barely managed a nod before he disappeared.

His heart was hammering in his chest. This was his fault. He’d caused Jared to lose his mind.

Behind him, Misha, Osric and Felicia ran to hold onto the rope. Meanwhile, he fell onto his knees and crawled towards the edge of the hole. He peered over the edge, into the dark, and tried to make out Jared’s shape or movement. He couldn’t see anything.

“Jared?” he called, voice quivering.

There was no response.

 

* * *

 

He was floating.

Swimming through open air, limbs extended and head thrown back. Like on a raft, drifting down a lazy river. Memories from his childhood came back to him; summers spent on the lake, and the feeling of being completely uninhibited and free.

The harness and rope were still secured around his waist, but they didn’t make a difference. He didn’t need them. Swirls of light and color shot by him. He blinked, and tried to make sense of it all. Distantly, he heard his name called. Jensen’s voice, deep with concern. He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t find the words.

Maybe this was it.

Maybe this was his conclusion.

He was overwhelmed by a sense of serenity. The peace was comforting, and that was all that really mattered, wasn’t it?

His eyes fluttered closed and he continued to drift.

 

* * *

 

The light was blinding when he opened his eyes.

“Jay? You with us?” he heard Misha’s voice ask.

He blinked a few times, and realized he was in a hospital room. Misha and Jensen were seated to his left, brows creased in worry and both looking worse for wear. Jensen leaned forward in his seat. He placed a hand flat against Jared’s cheek.

“You were gone for hours,” Jensen whispered. “We couldn’t pull you out. It was like a semi was attached to the end of that rope.”

“I don’t scare easy—you know that—but I was terrified,” Misha told him. “We thought we’d lost you. And when we finally got you out, you were unresponsive and just—shit, man. Don’t ever do that to me—to us—again. Ever.”

Jensen’s hand was still against his cheek. His skin was soft and warm, and Jared leaned into the touch. He kept his gaze steady on Jensen’s and smiled a little.

“I visited another world,” he mumbled.

Jensen let out a small huff of laughter. “Sure you did,” he said quietly.

Jared closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

He was kept overnight for observation and released the following day.

“So, seriously. What happened?” Misha asked as they drove back to the house. 

“I don’t think you’d believe me,” he said, then pressed his forehead against the window and watched the passing landscape. “I don’t even know if _I_ believe me.”

“Try me,” Misha insisted, but he didn’t reply.

 

* * *

 

At the first chance he had, he called Jensen.

“Think we could go someplace quiet?” he asked. 

The house was too noisy. 

Osric and Misha wouldn’t leave him alone and he couldn’t check his email or phone without finding another message from some local source looking to get the inside scoop on his incident. 

Jensen replied in the affirmative without any pause or hesitation.

They took the truck, and drove up into the hills. The lights and sounds of the Fall Harvest Festival floated up and drifted around them. They got out of the cab and climbed into the bed. He fit his arm around Jensen’s shoulders and sighed quietly. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. The sky was dark above them, but each and every star shone bright. It was stunning.

“I think I get it,” he finally said.

“Get what?” Jensen asked.

“Everything.”

“That’s specific.”

He flicked Jensen’s ear lightly and then expanded by saying, “I never believed you. I thought you were joking when you said the trees spoke to each other or that the town made a conscious decision to keep me and that’s why I couldn’t leave. But now… it doesn’t seem so outrageous.”

“Where’d you go, Jay?” Jensen asked, and though he couldn’t count the number of times he’d been asked this, Jensen was the only one he felt he could tell.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “But I think it was—it was another world. Another galaxy or another universe entirely—I can’t be sure, but that crack served as a portal. I’d joked about it—scoffed at the notion, actually—but I guess it was true. There were things that I saw and it was… it was incredible. And I know everyone is saying I hit my head and that I have a concussion but—“ His voice caught in his throat and he couldn’t quite form words to describe what had happened. Instead, he just shook his head and said, “But I know what happened, and I was conscious throughout.”

“I believe you,” Jensen replied, as Jared had known that he would. 

“There’s so much to life that we don’t understand, and maybe we aren’t meant to understand it. Misha has been trying to tell me how exciting this is, and I never understood. But now I do.”

“What you don’t understand, you can make mean anything,” Jensen said quietly.

“Exactly. There’s so much to see, and this town is only the tip of the iceberg. I can’t wait to experience everything it has to offer—I’ve wasted so much time feeling confused by it all, when really I should have been embracing it as an opportunity to explore the unknown.”

He hadn’t felt such a thirst for knowledge in a long, long time. 

It was exhilarating. 

Things in Midnight Valley might not abide by his logic or even the laws of science he knew to be true, but it didn’t matter. He was going to record everything and worry about what to make of it later. 

“I’m glad,” Jensen replied, and then he turned onto his side a little. He rested his head on Jared’s chest and laid a hand over his heart. 

“What happened to the fissure, anyway?” Jared asked as an afterthought.

“Closed up on it’s own within an hour of getting you out. No trace left that it was ever even there,” Jensen replied. 

He lifted his chin and let out a quiet _hmph_.

Somehow, he wasn’t surprised.

 

* * *

 

_”Good afternoon listeners, I’m Jensen Ackles and the annual Fall Harvest Festival is just around the corner. This year’s will be, without a doubt, one of the best yet. Be sure to check out the newest attraction: the Midnight Valley Fissure Experience. Feel the ground open beneath your feet and allow yourself to be sucked into an abyss._

_“Of course, this ride honors a landmark that never _actually_ existed in Midnight Valley. It was a figment of our collective imagination, and the t-shirts and key chains—which are still available today at a steep discount, and boast _The Midnight Valley Fissure: Midnight Valley’s #1 Destination_ —were all misprints. At least, this is what our local government insists. I will allow you to be the judge of that, but I for one am a little skeptical._

_“Next up, I’d like to mention that today marks a rather exciting anniversary. One year ago today, scientists Misha Collins and Jared Padalecki, along with Osric Chau, arrived in our town. It seems like only yesterday, doesn’t it? In that year they have taught us so much, and our town has taught them as well._

_“As we covered the other day, the scientists have extended their stay in Midnight Valley for an additional year. While their original grant unfortunately wasn’t extended, an anonymous donor from the Journal of Exploration, which explores topics outside the established disciplines of mainstream science, has funded their research for another year and possibly beyond._

_“We are very happy to have them, and a party will be held in their honor this evening at Rhodes’ Bar. There will be drinks and conversation, and yours truly will be in attendance, mostly because Jared claims I never attend his public appearances. The things we do for love, listeners._

_“And now, the weather.”_


End file.
